Thumb-operated trigger safety



Jan 13 1959 c.-M. NlEsP 2,867,930

THUMB-OPERATED TRIGGER SAFETY Filed Jan.y 25, 195s Unite THUMB-OPERATED TRIGGER SAFETY Casimer M. Niesp, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application January 23, 1956, Serial No. 560,662

2 Claims. (Cl. 42-70) This invention relates to guns, under which term I inarent clude ries and other types of firearms provided with au Invariably, however, such now provided in a gun fail to function properly Vshould the user, under excitement or otherwise, fail to hold the manually-controlled member of the safety means against actuation.

In most, if not all gun structures, the discharge of the gun occurs upon manipulation of atrigger or triggers ini cluded in the gun structure. When accidentally dropping the conventional gun as now manufactured with means to manually control the tiring thereof, it might result in a twig from a shrub or other growth entering the trigger guard of the gun and causing movement of the trigger, with the result that through the connection of the trigger with the so-called safetyl mechanism of the gun, the latter will be unintentionally discharged with the possibility of injuring, and even causing the death of the user of the gun or a person nearby.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide the gun with a projecting element forming part of automatic locking mechanism or a projecting part thereof which I preferably refer to as a safety button and which is movable along the length of the gun stock for convenience in locking the same against actuation and which is connected with the trigger mechanism designed to operateor at least allow operation of the ring mechanism o f the gun.

' 'With this in mind and to basically disclose the essenl anism shown in locked position.

Fig. 3 is a planular sectional view of the stock portion of a gun, the latter being equipped with my invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the gun having its locking mechanism in unlocked position; the wooden interior forming the stock being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the stock of the gun.

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the lock device whereby the trigger or triggers of the gun are automatically locked and so retained.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the prime actuator automatically maintained in locked position and in operative connection with other parts of the mechanism designed to place said prime actuator in active position.

' Guns of this type are usually provided with one or more barrels which are attached to the stock of the gun, and with a sheet metal housing shaped, stamped or otherwise fashioned to tit over the stock and protect certain parts of the mechanism conned in the gun at this region and to prevent access to parts controlling the tiring mechanism of the gun (not shown) but apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The housing is fashioned to conform to or blend into the exterior surface of the gun. In this exemplary form of my invention shown, the trigger guard at least partly surrounds the trigger or triggers of the gun, which in'- variably project downwardly from the stock and are designed to be tripped or actuated to cause actuation of the liring pin and the tiring of the ammunition with which the gun is loaded, as is well known to those skilled in the art. s

The stock of the gun, which I designate by the numeral 7, is usually constructed of walnut or other hardwood provided with an exterior depression or depressions 7a, `best shown in Fig. 2, to receive the metal housing and to provide a smooth continuity for the exposed portions of the gun at this region. In other respects the gun shown in the drawings is of the type mostly used forhunting purposes and is intended to prevent many accidents which inadvertently take place, particularly since in hunting, a carefree attitude is commonly displayed during the excitement occasioned when an animal or bird is shot. In such excitement all necessary precaution that should be taken to prevent tiring of the gun is unconsciously disregarded. It is the purpose of this invention that at all times, and especially during periods of excitement, the trigger or triggers of the gun be automatically locked against movement, even though direct pressure were applied to the trigger or triggers of the gun. y

Referring to the drawings in detail without any intention to restrict the invention to any type of gun, the gun shown has the stock 7 and may have two barrels 8 projecting forwardly from the stock, one of which only is shown. The reference numeral 9 represents a sheet metal housing in the form of a stamping which joins the barrel or barrels 8 to the stock and is provided with a trigger guard 10 within which the free ends of triggers 11 terminate with sufcientspace within the guard to permit the triggers to be actuated when i-t is desired to iire` the gun.

The housing 9 is in the form 'of a metallic loop which embraces the wooden portion of the stock, as best show n in Fig. 5,`and has two side members 12, 13,` connected vat the top by a bridge member or wall 14 and at-the bot,- tom by a transverse member 15 which holds the sides of the housing in a rigid manner and in spaced relation, thus fully enclosing the wooden portion of the stock along this region. The triggers 11 project outwardly from the stock and are partly surrounded by the trigger guard 10 so that the triggers are normally protected against accidental movement and the ring of the gun.

Within this loop housing, the wooden stock portion is gouged or hollowed out to provide a chamber 16 receiving movable and immovable parts of my improved safety mechanism. For example,-slidably arranged underneath the bridge member or wall 14 of the loop housing 9 is what I term the prime mover or actuator of my improved safety mechanism. This prime mover consists of a slide piece 17 in which a longitudinal slot 18 (see Fig. 7) is formed. The said slide piece 17 is longitudinally movable in the chamber 16 and is positioned underneath the bridge wall 14. It has extending upwardly therefrom a thumb piece 20. Depending from the thumb piece 20 is an ear 21 which extends through a slot 22 in the CC f vbridge -member lor wall 14. This thumb piece 20 is adapted'to be actuated 'by'a thumb Aorfinger ofthe user of the gun so as to counteract the force of a spring 23 within the chamber 16 interposed between .the prime mover, ormore particularly the^actuator A`or--slide'piece 17 and a fixed point in the stock of thegun, shown at 2'4. Said spring serves atall'times'to Vmove the slide-piece `17 inthe direction opposite that'indicated'by the arrow l25, shownin Fig. 2, and Athus maintain vthe finger or thumbpiece 20 at'the inner end ofthe `slot 22^inthe bridgemember or wall `14 of'the housing.

'Within the chamber 16 in'the stock is a lever-retaining cage or carrier 26. This cage or vcarrier is'fastene'd immovably .within the chamber 16 and is formed ofl atlat piece of metal bent'upontself toiprovide'twofspacedapart kside members 27 between which-'a lockleverZB is positioned and pi'voted to 'said side members, as yat '29.

Thelock lever has its upper end `lS10-projecting above the 'gun must press the finger or thumb piece 20 forwardly,

nas viewed in Fig. -4 or in't'he direction ofthe arrow 25 in Fig. 2, to strain the spring 23 on the slide piece 17, whereupon the latter-is moved in a like direction with the result that the `lock lever 28 is swung `on'its pivot from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 4, and the 'lower end thereof disengages itself from the lock lug 32-onfthe trigger, thus permitting the'latter to be moved and the ring or concussion pin (not-shown) -of the gun actuated in `the usual manner to Vcause the gun 'to be red. lImmediately upon ring the gun all parts under the action ofthe-spring 23 will returnfto norma-ltposition, which vis that in which the lock lever 28 is lockedwithin the cage or `carrier 26 so as to lock the trigger againstfmovement.

Where in the :claims triggers are referred to, itis my intention to embody a singletrigger or any number of triggers, depending on the number of barrels included in the gun, and as will be understood by those-skilled in the art to which this invention relates, each trigger may lhave associated therewith complementary firing elements (not shown) but common-lyunderstood las to vtheir construction and functional purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

'1. yIn a mechanism to prevent tiring a weapon until a thumb-piece is moved after the yfiring hand of the user is in iinal position to pull the trigger, a'safety -mechanism for insertion into the chamber of a gunstock and comprising a trigger pivotally mounted 'in the lower portion of said chamber and having a lock lug extending into said chamber, ya lock lever pivotally mounted at its central portion within said chamber and having a lock-ing lug portion on the lower end thereof, a slide piece slidably mounted in the upper portion of said chamber, said slide piece having a slot adjacent each end thereof, the slot in the forward portion of said slide piece receiving the upper end of said pivotally mounted lock lever, a spring continuously urging said slide piece rearwardly to maintain the locking lug portion on said locking lever in engagement with said trigger lockingllug, a thumb piece actuator slidably mounted on the upper surface of said gunstock abovesaid chamber, an ear depending-from said thumb-piece andfextending into the rear slot of said slide piece, said thumb-piece being actuated by a thumb or nger of the user of the gun so as to contract the force of said spring to pivot said lock lever and to disengage said lock lever locking lug portion from said trigger locking 'lug to permit themanual'manipulaton of the trigger by the luser of the gun.

2. Ina vmechanism 'to prevent firing a weapon until a thumb-piece is moved after the ring hand of -the user is in final position :to pull the.' trigger, a safety mechanism for insertion into the chamber of "a gun stock'and comprising a trigger having a locking lug extending into said chamber, k-a lock lever pivotally `mount-edintermediate its ends and having a locking lug portion'on thelowerend thereof engageable with'the llocking lug on said trigger, a slide piece longitudinally movable in the-upper portion of said chamber and positioned underneath the vupper wall of said-chamber, said slide piece-having an elongated slot forreceiving the upper end of said pivotally'mounted lock lever, a thumb-piece actuator slidably mountedon the upper surfaceA of said gun stock chamberand having a portion thereof slidably connected with said slide piece to Iform a driving connection therewith to enable said slide piece to bemoved in arreverse direction 'to disengage'said lock 'lever from-said Atrigger locking lug to unlock the trigger to permit manual actuation-of the trigger, and-a spring ycontinuously urging-said slide piece in adirection to .pivot said lock lever into-engagement with saidtrigger locking vlug, saidspring `being attached .to said thumbpieceactuator portion below said slide piece to Yprevent Ydownward disconnection of the slide .piece from said portion.

References kCitedin the file of .this patent 'UNITED 'STATES .PATENTS 712,282 =Fay et al. Oct. 28, 1902 1,450,976 Larson Apr, v10, 1923 1,898,651 Wilk .Feb. 21, 1933 2,484,928 Boone Oct. 18, 1'949 2,553,995 Young May 22, 1951 2,775,051y Gehman Dec. 25, .1956 

